


Pandemonium

by sixfarthingsless



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombies, M/M, Zompoc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-12
Updated: 2015-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-11 23:20:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3336521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sixfarthingsless/pseuds/sixfarthingsless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>29 months after the break out of an infection known as "VK3", Merlin Emrys has to struggle to survive in a post-apocalyptic world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pandemonium

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, guys. I found this in my docs and thought I'd share it. I've cleaned it up a little, but there still might be mistakes. Hope you enjoy and want it to continue.

Merlin dropped against the side of the chantry, breathing heavily. His shotgun was jammed between his legs. The smell of the smoke almost choked him, but he knew he had to stop for a while.

He’d just killed his own mother. He’d killed the very person who’d given him life.

He’d just killed his friends. He’d even killed Revered Halliday. He’d had no choice.   
He had to. He had no choice.   
They’d been safe until Sally Mayer had propped open the side door to make a second run to the carpark for supplies. Karl Jones hadn’t made it back yet. Sally, Karl, Zaki, and Joan had split up somewhere near Tesco and Aldi to cover more ground.   
The last Sally and Joan had seen of either men, they’d disappeared into the back door of a corner shop with cocky grins.   
  
Karl Jones hadn’t made it back yet so there was nobody to help Sally and Joan bring in the supplies. Everyone had been too busy to stop what they were doing and help. Hunith (Merlin’s mother), Scott and Layton were scrubbing away at dirty clothes and sheets, Joan suddenly drafted in to hanging them.   
Debby Gilmore had been skinning a rabbit that had been snared (and laughing at Eddy who was having to have stitches after getting the rabbit out of the snare). Sascha Lowe had been midway through saying ‘let me just…’. Merlin couldn’t even remember what he had been doing. If only he’d just stopped and helped…   
  
Sally had propped open the door, without even checking to see if it was clear.   
Moments later, Merlin saw his own mother being ripped to pieces by a woman wearing a filthy wedding dress.   
  
“Get out of here, Merlin!” She cried, pointing at the fire exit. “Get out, go!”   
  
One by one, he watched his friends fight for their lives and fall.   
He watched their blood splatter against the walls behind them. He heard them screaming as the Walkers bit into their flesh. He ran forward, picking up a shotgun that Reverend Halliday had given to him sometime the week before. He used the butt of the gun to smash a Walkers head, splitting it immediately.  
He shot another, and another, shoving and pushing, willing himself to get to his mother. She was still screeching for him to leave.   
  
He couldn't get to her, couldn't say goodbye, couldn't say thank you for everything she had done and sacrificed for him, everything she was doing for him. He couldn't even tell her how much he loved her.   
As he ran by the altar, he picked up the fail safe detonator.   
Scott Shaw – an engineer, apparently - had rigged it for dire situations. He ran through the door, meaning to head straight for the van, but the Walkers were coming too fast.  
  
As he reached the steps beside the chantry, he pressed the button to set off the fail safe. The switch was actually a broken Sky remote. Merlin remembered laughing about it at first. He pressed it, hearing nothing at first.   
Then the explosion sent him crashing to the floor.   
The Walkers that had been aiming to get inside were burning, dropping to the floor and twitching as the flames enveloped their bodies. The church was burning. The roof caved in, the flames licking around it.   
  
Merlin had to wonder whether his friends had suffered. Had they died immediately when the altar exploded? Or were they burning, not close enough to be put out of their misery? Merlin’s head throbbed as he pulled himself up, running around the chantry until he reached a part that was hidden from sight by a metal veranda.   
He wouldn't be safe indefinitely, but he would have a few seconds to calm down.   
Merlin dropped against the side of the chantry, breathing heavily. His shotgun was jammed between his legs. The smell of the smoke almost choked him, but he knew he had to stop.

He heard a part of the wall fall, the crash shaking the ground slightly, and he hoped it killed any remaining Walkers that hadn't gone with the explosion. He let himself breathe for a moment, or until the wave of nausea died down.  
He took the small canteen from his belt, drinking down his remaining water.  
  
In a satchel attached to his belt, he had a few for shotgun shells, but not enough to survive. Not long term, anyway.  
He definitely wouldn't have enough to survive if he didn't move now.  
  
On shaky legs, he stood. His ankle gave out.   
He swore under his breath. The blast had hurt him more than he’d thought now that the adrenaline was beginning to wear off. He began his stumble round the corner while he loaded his gun. He hoped that Sally had left her handgun on the driver’s seat, as she always did. He hoped even more there were enough bullets in the glove box. He saw the van at the edge of the carpark.   
Sally was on the ground beside it.   
  
He had no idea whether the blast had killed her or whether he would have to put a bullet in her head. He limped towards the van, eyes darting around for evidence of Walkers. He knew the explosion would draw them close, so he had to hurry – who knew how many were around?   
The group hadn't encountered any for weeks. The last time Merlin had seen one was on a food run about a month before. It had been more interested in some horses in a field than humans, anyway.   
  
Merlin had no idea where this group had come from.   
Craig, Scott’s brother, should have been keeping watch from the belfry. Merlin turned, as if expecting the spire to still be there. It had fallen when the wall had.   
  
“Merlin? Merlin? What happened here?” Merlin spun quickly, coming face-to-face with Craig Shaw. He was clean. No bites, no bruises, no cuts. He was perfectly fine. That infuriated Merlin. “What happened, Emrys?”   
  
“You did, Shaw,” Merlin said, lifting up the gun and shooting Craig through the chin. He felt no remorse as Craig hit the floor, dead. Merlin winced as he ambled across the carpark.   
_Just move_ , he told himself; if the explosion had attracted Walkers, the gunshot would just confirm that humans were around. He loaded his gun again, ready to shoot Sally. She looked as though she wouldn't be returning, but Merlin knew it was better safe than sorry. He leaned over her and sighed.   
“I don’t blame you,” He muttered, pulling the trigger.   
  
Her blood splattered over his face, ad he was glad there was a rag inside his satchel. Usually if they were killing Walkers, they would cover their mouths and noses with a scarf, just in case the infection spread through their blood. Some of the group would cover their eyes with a diving mask, but they only had three or four. They’d belonged to a family that they’d found by the side of the road.   
  
The youngest died of infection within a week, another of food poisoning, and the other ran out into a sea of Walkers as a distraction. Kirk, he’d said his name was. The Reverend would say prayers for him every Sunday. Merlin apologised to Sally, feeling his throat constricting. He climbed into the van and locked the door behind him. He leaned over to check for bullets in the glove box.   
There weren't a lot, but there was enough to keep him alive for a while if he didn't run into trouble. He turned on the engine and sped out of the carpark. He looked at the burning church through the wing mirrors, wondering if it was a metaphor for human faith ever since the infection hit.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think i.e. whether to continue or not.


End file.
